Meta

Pope Benedict looks at a copy of the first volume of his work, "Jesus of Nazareth." The first volume came out in 2007.

VATICAN CITY — We’ve known for a while that the second volume of Pope Benedict XVI’s work, “Jesus of Nazareth,” would be out by the spring of next year.

Salesian Father Giuseppe Costa, director of the Vatican Publishing House, has finally set the target date for the book’s worldwide release: the first Sunday of Lent, March 13, 2011.

In an interview with Vatican Radio yesterday, Father Costa said that by Jan. 15, they plan on delivering translated texts to publishers in different countries so those publishers can prepare their own national editions.

Writing in his native language, German, the pope finished writing the second volume on the life of Jesus in May and the text went to a team of Vatican translators at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State.

The Vatican wants the book to be released simultaneously in major languages. And Lent is a perfect time to launch Volume 2, which treats Christ’s passion and resurrection.